Combination beverage container and drinking straw

ABSTRACT

A sealed beverage container has a drinking straw supported in a loop depending from a partly or wholly severable portion of the container cover. In one form such portion is a patchlike tear strip covering a slot in the cover, the slot being wider than the straw and preferably extending from the corner of the cover part way along a diagonal. In another form such portion is coplanar with and integral with the cover, the latter being provided with two niches in the circumferential edge thereof preferably spaced equidistant from a corner thereof, the tip of the corner between the niches being adapted to be grasped to tear the portion upward out of the plane of the cover. In both forms the straw is simultaneously tilted upward for extraction from the loop. Additional provision is made for standing the extracted straw upright in the corresponding corner of the container.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Henry M. Chang Bronx, NY. [21]App1.No. 829,425 [22] Filed June 2, 1969 [45] Patented Feb. 2, 1971 [73]Assignee First Dynamics, Inc.

New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York [54] COMBINATION BEVERAGECONTAINER AND DRINKING STRAW 11 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. C1 229/7, 220/902; 215/1 [51] Int. Cl .1 B65d 17/00. 865d17/06, B65d 47/00, B65d 83/00 [50] Field ofSearch 215/415. 1A; 229/7;220/902 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,213,961 1/1917Shepard .1 (229/7) 2,220,746 11/1940 Wentz (229/7) 2.382.597 8/1945Amberg i. 229/7(l) Primary Examiner- Raphael H. Schwartz AnorneyFrankLedermann ABSTRACT: A sealed beverage container has a drinking strawsupported in a loop depending from a partly or wholly severable portionof the container cover. In one form such portion is a patchlike tearstrip covering a slot in the cover, the slot being wider than the strawand preferably extending from the corner of the cover part way along adiagonal. In another form such portion is coplanar with and integralwith the cover, the latter being provided with two niches in thecircumferential edge thereof preferably spaced equidistant from a cornerthereof, the tip of the corner between the niches being adapted to begrasped to tear the portion upward out of the plane of the cover. Inboth forms the straw is simultaneously tilted upward for extraction fromthe loop. Additional provision is made for standing the extracted strawupright in the corresponding corner of the containerv PATENTEDFEB 2m 43559,868

SHEEIIUFZ" I INVENTOR.

HENRY M. CHANG I ifi m ATTORNEY PATENTED FEB 2|9n 3,559,

SHEET 2 BF 2 I IINVENTOR. HENRY M. CHANG BY ATTORNEY COMBINATIONBEVERAGE CONTAINER AND DRINKING STRAW My U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,501 of May28, .1968 discloses a container cover having a tear strip defined byspaced parallel slits extending from a comer of the cover on both sidesof a diagonal, and a straw is carried in a loop suspended from the tearstrip. Upon tearing the strip the straw is tilted upward to be graspedand extracted.

The present invention also embodies a drinking straw suspended from atear strip or tearable portion which provides for tilting the strawupward together with the tearable portion, but the present inventionachieves such result by means of different and improved constructions.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of thecontainer having a first form of cover wherein an access slot is closedby a tear strip-adhered to the external surface of the cover.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 except thatthe tear strip is shown partly severed for access to the straw.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 with thetear strip and the straw omitted.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the container as it would appearwith the tear strip entirely removed and with the straw supportedupright in the uncovered comer.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a second form of container cover, thesurrounding walls of the container body to which this cover is sealedbeing indicated in phantom.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 6 but showing a third formof cover which is a modification of that shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of thecontainer with the cover omitted, showing a different construction forsupporting the extracted straw in the upright position illustrated inFIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the containerbody, with the cover omitted, of the form shown in FIGS. 1-5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates acontainer body shown rectangular in cross section and including thesurrounding sidewalls 11 and the bottom wall 12. The upper edges of thewalls 11 are flared outward to provide a circumferential flange 13.

The cover 14 is dimensioned to be complementary to the flange 13 and issealed thereon to confine the liquid contents. A relatively wide slot 15is provided in the cover, preferably extending along a diagonal thereofwith the opposed longitudinal edges 16 of the slot preferably spacedequidistantly from the geometrical or straight line of the diagonal. Atear strip 17 having a greater length and width than the slot 15, has adepending loop 18 formed substantially intermediate the length of arelatively narrow band 19 whose end portions are adhered to theunderside of the strip 17. A drinking straw 20 is releasably held in theloop 18 and is thus suspended from the strip 17. The band and hence theloop are so positioned on the tear strip that when the latter is adheredto the top surface of the cover and covers the slot 15, the loop 18 ispositioned forward of the center of the cover. Thus, when the leadingend 21 of the strip 17 is torn upward, as illustrated in phantom in FIG.2, the straw is tilted upward into a convenient position to be graspedand inserted through the now exposed slot 15. To facilitate lifting ofthe tear strip, at least a portion of its extremity 21 is preferablyleft unadhered to the flange 13; since such feature is common and wellknown it is not specifically shown in the drawing.

In the modified form of cover 14a shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, instead of theslot 15 and tear strip 17, the cover has two short niches 22 cutthereinto equidistantly spaced from a comer apex and directed alongparallel lines 23 shown in phantom in FIG. 6. With the cover made of amaterial such as foil laminate, which is available on the market, uponlifting the extremity 21a of the portion of the cover between the nichesand tearing upward as before, a tongue 24 will be severed out of thecover to provide a slot equivalent to the slot 15 of FIG. 3, as isobvious. In this form of cover the band 19 is adhered to the undersideof the tongue portion 24 and its loop 18 carries the straw 20.

FIG. 8 illustrates a modified form of the cover of FIG. 6. Herein theniches 25, otherwise equivalent to the niches 22, are out longconverging lines shown in phantom at 26 so that, upon tearing the tip21b upward a tongue portion 27 may be completely removed by continuingthe tearing operation to the apex 28 at which the lines 26 meet.

In the case of the covers of FIGS. 6 and 8, score lines, not shown, maybe cut partway into the cover along the lines shown in phantom,especially where it is desired to make the cover out of a material otherthan foil laminate, or such score lines may be provided no matter whatmaterial is used.

The container body 10, which is shown only in FIGS. 1-5 and 10, includesmeans for holding the extracted straw upright in a socket like frame inthe exposed corner of the container body. Such means is there shown astwo inwardly depressed vertical flutes 29 in the adjacent sidewalls 11extending from the bottom of the container body to the level of theflange 13 with the latter having inward extensions 31 at the top of therecesses 30 thus formed in the sidewalls 11. These flutes provideopposed vertical wall portions 32 inside the container, which togetherwith the adjacent portions 11a of the walls 11 provide a socket intowhich the straw can be inserted to reach to the bottom of the containerand which maintains the straw in upright position. The essentialcharacteristic of these flutes and those described below is that theyprovide vertical wall portions which extend inward from the walls 11 adistance sufficient to provide stops to prevent the straw from tiltingout of the upright position.

Although the flutes 29 instead of extending the full height of the walls11 may extend only part way upward from the bottom of the container andthus serve for the same purpose in, perhaps, a less effective manner, amodified form of flutes is shown in FIG. 9 and is particularly adaptablein the case where the flutes extend only partway upward. These flutes,shown at 33 in FIG. 9, provide wedge-shaped recesses 34 which provideopposed vertical wall portions 35 which again, together with theadjacent wall portions 11a provide a socket like frame within which thestraw can register and be retained upright.

Flutes such as illustrated and described herein are readily provided, inthe case of plastic containers, by the method known as thermoforming,and obviously they may be formed by other methods whether the materialused is a plastic or another material.

In order that the drinking straw 20 be constrained against floatingupward when inserted into the socketlike structure which is clearly seenin FIG. 5, it is desirable that the straw engage the opposed walls 32and 11a frictionally. Proper dimensioning of the various parts isreadily accomplished to attain this end.

It is obvious that instead of having the container rectangular in crosssection as illustrated in the drawing and described, since a rectangleis one form of a polygon, a sixor eight-sided polygon, or one havingeven a larger number of sides, may be substituted for the rectangularcross section. In such a case it is also obvious that any corner of thepolygonal container can serve as the comer in which the socketlikeenclosure is provided and the outer tapered extremity of the entranceslot is positioned, both of which as well as the suspended straw beingsimilarly positioned along a diagonal through such corner.

Iclaim:

1. A combination beverage container and drinking straw comprising acontainer body polygonal in cross section and including a bottom wall,sidewalls having their upper edges flared outward to provide acircumferentialflange, and a cover dimensioned complementarily to saidflange sealed on said flange, said cover including a relatively widetearable portion which extends from a corner thereof toward themidportion thereof adapted to be torn from the cover in a directiontoward said midportion thereby exposing a diagonal slot in the cover,said tearable portion having a width greater than the diameter of saidstraw and having means on the underside thereof for releasablysuspending the straw therefrom in a position intermediate said tearableportion and substantially parallel with said cover, said container bodyhaving in the sidewalls thereof adjacent the corner thereofcorresponding to said corner of the cover inwardly extending projectionsextending inward at approximately right angles to said adjacentsidewalls thereby defining together with the portions of said adjacentsidewalls which lie between said projections a socketlike enclosure inwhich said straw after extraction from said suspending means isregistrable.

2. A combination according to claim 1, said tearable portion comprisinga strip adhered to the upper surface of said cover.

3. A combination according to claim 1, said tearable portion lying inthe plane of said cover, the end portion of said tearable portion whichlies opposite the midportion of the cover having two niches cut intoonly that portion of the edges thereof which is superimposed on saidflange, said niches being spaced from said corner of the cover anddefining the width of the corresponding portion of the slot which isfirst exposed.

4. A combination according to claim 3, said niches being linearlymutually parallel and parallel with the geometric diagonal through saidcomer of the cover.

5. A combination according to claim 3, said niches being linearlymutually converging in directions toward a common point positionedwithin the boundaries of said cover.

6. A combination according to claim 5, said common point beingpositioned on said geometric diagonal.

7. A combination according to claim 1, said projections within thecontainer body extending only part way toward each other.

8. A combination according to claim 1, said projections having verticalwall portions on the mutually opposed sides thereof frictionallyengageable by the straw.

9. A combination according to claim 8, said projections extendingthroughout the height of said adjacent sidewalls.

10. A combination according to claim 8, said projections extending partway upward from the bottom of the container body toward the upper edgesof said sidewalls.

11. In combination, a sealed beverage container and a drinking strawcomprising a container body polygonal in cross section including abottom wall, sidewalls and a cover, said cover including a relativelywide tearable portion which extends from a corner thereof toward themidportion thereof adapted to be torn from the cover in a directiontoward said midportion thereby exposing a diagonal slot in the cover,said tearable portion having a width greater than the diameter of saidstraw and having means on the underside thereof for releasablysuspending the straw therefrom in a position intermediate said tearableportion and substantially parallel with said cover, said container bodyhaving in the sidewalls thereof adjacent the corner thereofcorresponding to said corner of the cover inwardly extending projectionsextending inward at approximately right angles to said adjacentsidewalls thereby defining together with the portions of said adjacentsidewalls which lie between said projections a socketlike enclosure inwhich said straw after extraction from said suspending means isregistrable.

1. A combination beverage container and drinking straw comprising acontainer body polygonal in cross section and including a bottom wall,sidewalls having their upper edges flared outward to provide acircumferential flange, and a cover dimensioned complementarily to saidflange sealed on said flange, said cover including a relatively widetearable portion which extends from a corner thereof toward themidportion thereof adapted to be torn from the cover in a directiontoward said midportion thereby exposing a diagonal slot in the cover,said tearable portion having a width greater than the diameter of saidstraw and having means on the underside thereof for releasablysuspending the straw therefrom in a position intermediate said tearableportion and substantially parallel with said cover, said container bodyhaving in the sidewalls thereof adjacent the corner thereofcorresponding to said corner of the cover inwardly extending projectionsextending inward at approximately right angles to said adjacentsidewalls thereby defining together with the portions of said adjacentsidewalls which lie between said projections a socketlike enclosure inwhich said straw after extraction from said suspending means isregistrable.
 2. A combination according to claim 1, said tearableportion comprising a strip adhered to the upper surface of said cover.3. A combination according to claim 1, said tearable portion lying inthe plane of said cover, the end portion of said tearable portion whichlies opposite the midportion of the cover having two niches cut intoonly that portion of the edges thereof which is superimposed on saidflange, said niches being spaced from said corner of the cover anddefining the width of the corresponding portion of the slot which isfirst exposed.
 4. A combination according to claim 3, said niches beinglinearly mutually parallel and parallel with the geometric diagonalthrough said corner of the cover.
 5. A combination according to claim 3,said niches being linearly mutually converging in directions toward acommon point positioned within the boundaries of said cover.
 6. Acombination according to claim 5, said common point being positioned onsaid geometric diagonal.
 7. A combination according to claim 1, saidprojections within the container body extending only part way towardeach other.
 8. A combination according to claim 1, said projectionshaving vertical wall portions on the mutuallY opposed sides thereoffrictionally engageable by the straw.
 9. A combination according toclaim 8, said projections extending throughout the height of saidadjacent sidewalls.
 10. A combination according to claim 8, saidprojections extending part way upward from the bottom of the containerbody toward the upper edges of said sidewalls.
 11. In combination, asealed beverage container and a drinking straw comprising a containerbody polygonal in cross section including a bottom wall, sidewalls and acover, said cover including a relatively wide tearable portion whichextends from a corner thereof toward the midportion thereof adapted tobe torn from the cover in a direction toward said midportion therebyexposing a diagonal slot in the cover, said tearable portion having awidth greater than the diameter of said straw and having means on theunderside thereof for releasably suspending the straw therefrom in aposition intermediate said tearable portion and substantially parallelwith said cover, said container body having in the sidewalls thereofadjacent the corner thereof corresponding to said corner of the coverinwardly extending projections extending inward at approximately rightangles to said adjacent sidewalls thereby defining together with theportions of said adjacent sidewalls which lie between said projections asocketlike enclosure in which said straw after extraction from saidsuspending means is registrable.